Indonesia will impose a ban on the import of sugar for consumption starting next year, according to Chief Food Affairs Minister Zulkifli Hasan.
The ban will focus specifically on sugar intended for personal consumption. A similar ban on salt imports for consumption will also be enforced in 2025. However, the country will still allow the import of salt for industrial use.
“We will no longer import salt and sugar for consumption starting next year,” Zulkifli announced during a press briefing in Jakarta on Monday.
According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia imported around 5.1 million tons of sugar in 2023. Most of these imports came from Thailand, which supplied nearly 2.4 million tons, followed by Brazil with 1.5 million tons. However, the data does not specify how much of the imported sugar was meant for consumption.
Zulkifli assured the public that domestic sugar production would be sufficient to meet the country’s needs. Indonesia is expected to produce 2.4 million tons of sugar this year, with plans to increase production to 2.6 million tons by 2025. In addition, Indonesia anticipates producing nearly 2.25 million tons of salt for consumption next year, which exceeds the expected domestic demand of 1.76 million tons.
The government also plans to collaborate with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to boost domestic sugar production and improve the management of local plantations.
This move is part of Indonesia’s broader strategy to achieve food self-sufficiency by 2027, which includes reducing dependence on imported food commodities.
